THE WOLF'S DEN - Tana dei Lupi II

[DCGweez]

Question for you Gio, if you had to have one, which would you choose Luis Enrique or Zeman? Just curious.

[Italiamia]

[maro]

I just suspect Zeman is unlikely to resign and that the powers-that-be at the club are likely to continue to preach patience - as they did last season. I also think we'll see an up-turn in results (which isn't to say that the upturn will be so considerable as to vindicate Zeman

[RomaShield27]

Baldini said in his interview last week that a large part of what made them go with Zeman in what he achieved with Pescara last season. It was in response to a question put to him saying that Zeman's teams can't defend, or he's not interested in defending, and Baldini replied by saying he done fine in this respect with Pescara. A look at last seasons Serie B table* tells me they conceded 55, which is no small amount, but still had the best goal difference with +35.

He has been around the block and his style of football is well known, but not archaic. In many ways his football has always been ahead of its time and revolutionary. The question remains, however, if he can produce the goods with a top team and achieve success at the highest level.

EDIT: Dont know why WIKI is not letting me link it. Here's the link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011–12_Serie_B

[RomaShield27]

LE FORMAZIONI UFFICIALI

ROMA (4-3-3): Goicoechea; Piris, Marquinhos, Castan, Balzaretti; Pjanic, Bradley, Florenzi; Lamela,Osvaldo, Totti.


TORINO (4-2-4): Gillet; Darmian, Glik, Ogbonna, D’Ambrosio; Basha, Gazzi; Cerci, Bianchi, Sgrigna, Santana.


Arbitro: Guida di Torre Annunziata
Assistenti: Passeri-Costanzo
Quarto Ufficiale: Rubino
Arbitri d’area: Calvarese-Di Bello

[DCGweez]

I think long term Zeman is actually the better choice given our investment in young Attackers. In 1/4 of a season we've already seen Lamela blossom more than in a year with LE. (Just as i suspected earlier this year when I tipped Lamela for greatness )

I don't think either are any sort of solution long term.

[Italiamia]

[Italiamia]

[RomaShield27]

Thats why I mentioned that Baldini interview in which he said he was happy with how Pescara defended as a team under Zeman last season. Still, a lot of what you say is true, it is a major step up, no doubt, and in that is the risk.

Zeman's tactics are still revolutionary, its just a question on if they can be employed successfully at the top tier of the game. So many things have to be right, so many things can easily go wrong. Defending – as a team – was always going to be the biggest risk of all. Can we get it working right, and like you've said, so far we haven't, as the 'smaller' teams have been able to expose us far too easy, but that is were time is needed.

If we don't want to concede large amount of goals then we shouldn't have hired Zeman, end of story. We may have conceded 23, but we're also the top scorers in the league after tonights performance. Thats the only way Zeman sees it.

Not a great performance, but at least we kept a clean sheet. Far too wasteful up front and in midfield. Marquinhos had a great game.

Also, Osvaldo as a captain of this team is terrifying.

[RomaShield27]

Pjanic:

"I wanted to celebrate with the fans, I'm fine here, I want to win with this team. The next games will be very important and we need to stick together. I dedicate this goal to our friend Daniele (De Rossi), I know he wanted to be here with us."

[maro]

How can Zeman's tactics be "still revolutionary"? Especially since they - famously - haven't changed?

[RomaShield27]

Ok probably wrong choice of word. Radical? Different? Not seen before, or since?

Thoughts on the game tonight?

[forzaitalia]

Decent result, didn't play great but feels nice to be involved in a 'normal' game, if you like, where there's no crazy frustrating comeback. We were still frighteningly open at times but thankfully Toro weren't great, it's clear their good away record has been based on being well organised rather than good going forward, but a clean sheet can't do any harm. Marquinhos did very well - can't be easy being so young and being a defender in a Zeman team.

Pescara and Siena away next. Can we possibly put 3 wins on the spin together under Zeman? If there's ever a chance to do so, it's here. Let's hope so.

[Lupa]

[forzaitalia]

Very true. I remember Siena away last season, we were absolutely dire. Painful to watch that was.

[DCGweez]

[Italiamia]

Excuse me but that is not only an exaggeration but it is untrue, DC. On this issue I believe I can speak for every Roma fan here. Regardless of the bitching and moaning all Roma fans want the team to win and none of us get a damn bit of pleasure out of losing.

[DavidP]

[RomaShield27]

[Lupa]